As a Continuity of the Different Forms of Violence: Gender-Based Digital Violence Against Women

The terms online or digital gender-based violence (GBV) and cyber violence against women (VAW) are generally used synonymously to address acts of online/technology-facilitated abuse against women and girls committed against them because of their gender. This paper evaluates that although online or digital dimension of VAW may not be stated and referenced in the international and regional legal frameworks, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and Council of Europe Convention on the Preventing and Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention), it is interpreted as a form of discrimination against women aligning with the spirit of Articles 1 and 3 of the CEDAW and several articles of the Istanbul Convention can be applied to the specific topic of digital/online violence such as Article 33 (psychological violence), Article 34 (stalking), and Article 40 (sexual harassment). This paper is desk-based research paper which analyses the issue methodologically through the CEDAW and the Istanbul Convention and their recommendations which address digital dimension of VAW.